Positivity Resonance in Japanese Adults’ Interactions with Familiar Others: Cultural Adaptation and Links to Happiness, Loneliness, and Depression

Rae Na Kang^{1, 2,} , Keiko Otake¹ and Hidefumi Hitokoto¹

¹Department of Integrated Psychological Sciences, Kwansei Gakuin University, Nishinomiya, Japan

²Comprehensive Research Center of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Japan

Cite this paper:
Rae Na Kang, Keiko Otake and Hidefumi Hitokoto. Positivity Resonance in Japanese Adults’ Interactions with Familiar Others: Cultural Adaptation and Links to Happiness, Loneliness, and Depression. Research in Psychology and Behavioral Sciences. 2025; 13(1):16-22. doi: 10.12691/rpbs-13-1-3

Abstract

Positivity resonance (PR), the shared experience of positive affect, mutual care, and behavioral synchrony, has been associated with well-being in Western contexts, yet its mental health benefits in non-Western cultures remain underexplored. This study developed a Japanese version of the Positivity Resonance Scale (PRS) for interactions with “familiar others” and examined its links to subjective happiness, loneliness, and depression. Data were collected across three survey waves: Time 1 used an independent cross-sectional adult sample (N = 934), while Time 2 (N = 318) and Time 3 (N = 254) followed the same Japanese university students longitudinally. Factor analyses supported a one-factor structure consistent with the original PRS, showing excellent internal consistency (α = .93–.94) and good test–retest reliability (ICC = .63). PR correlated positively with happiness and negatively with loneliness and depression, and these associations remained significant after controlling for positive affect. These findings suggest that PR is a crucial interpersonal emotional process supporting well-being, even in a collectivistic cultural context.

Keywords:
positivity resonance familiar others subjective happiness loneliness depression well-being Japan

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